


In Defence of Fanfiction

by teapea



Category: Defense of the Ancients | Dota
Genre: Elizabethan Writing, Humanist Writing, John Lyly - Freeform, Meta, Philip Sydney
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-02-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:34:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22834114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teapea/pseuds/teapea
Summary: Quick note that Y/N stands for 'your name'. This means you would insert your own name whenever it says Y/N. Enjoy!





	In Defence of Fanfiction

**Author's Note:**

> Quick note that Y/N stands for 'your name'. This means you would insert your own name whenever it says Y/N. Enjoy!

A few weeks ago, I was sat in the campus coffee shop with Professor Smith, who taught my creative writing class. The final was a few days away and we were discussing the stories I had submitted for this class up until then.

“I have no doubt you’ll do well in the final, Y/N,” Professor Smith said with a smile. “Your writing is great. It even has potential for the real world, in my opinion.” 

I was glowing from the praise. Adonis, the cute barista who worked here, was walking past and I wondered if he’d heard the flattering words. “Really? I mean, I’ve already published some things online, so…” I started.

“With an online magazine? That’s brilliant! Which one?” Professor Smith seemed immensely pleased.

“No, on a fanfiction website, actually. I know it’s a little childish, but my work does really well on there – I’m well known.” 

Professor Smith frowned at me and said, “I’m not following. You publish… fanfiction? Online?” 

I could tell he wasn’t impressed anymore and I grew nervous. “Yes, sir. I do.”

Professor Smith chuckled as he shifted his cup of coffee. “That’s not real publishing, Y/N. Nor is it real writing. I thought you, of all people, would know that.”

I could barely believe my ears. Had he just said fanfiction wasn’t writing?

He continued before I could speak up. “Fanfiction is something you should have left behind when you started college, to be perfectly honest. It’s for teenagers, girls, children. You are a woman at university, not a girl in her childhood bedroom.”

“With all due respect, sir,” I began slowly, “fanfiction is more about the honing of an art and less about raging teenage hormones, even though it might seem that way at first glance.” 

I pushed my glasses up by the frame. “As Philip Sidney once said, “they that with quiet judgements will look a little deeper,” will see that fanfiction actually encompasses multitudes upon multitudes of possibility.”

Professor Smith raised an eyebrow, amused. “I see you did your reading this week, but I have to disagree. Fanfiction is lazy. The fictional universe and its characters are already fleshed out for you. You’re taking someone else’s creative efforts and using them. It’s the equivalent to cheating in an exam. How does the fanfiction writer do anything but plagiarise actual writers?”

I took a breath and rearranged my own coffee cup on the table. “Well, Professor, it’s not that simple. Fanfiction isn’t copying, stealing, plagiarising. It’s building upon a pre-existing universe, a pre-existing voice. As a fanfiction writer, anything you read, you read actively. Subconsciously, you’re thinking of how you can further develop storylines, characters, universes as you read every line of a book. It can be doubted, of course, if every fanfiction writer reads this way, but many of us embody the original narrative voice and build upon its creative efforts while both mimicking and reimagining it.” 

“And why not invest that time and effort into creating your own original storylines, characters, universes?” Professor Smith interjects. “You’d be that published author who inspires fanfiction writers if you did.”

“You of all people should know how difficult it is to be published in real life,” I returned, frowning. “It’s an elitist industry where few flourish. Fanfiction, meanwhile, is accessible to anyone with a laptop and Wi-Fi. Online, you can publish your work, receive feedback, gain a following for free, no matter who you are. Plus, the online fanfiction community is huge. It’s a network of budding, aspiring or simply hobby writers who all love the same thing – creating fiction. Fanfiction is simultaneously a creative outlet and a source of inspiration. It’s an ecosystem that feeds itself. It’s genius.”

Professor Smith was smiling at me then. I realised that I’d raised my voice a little and cleared my throat with embarrassment. 

“I can see this is something you’re passionate about. I have to admit that I respect that,” he said.

“I’m glad,” I replied. Behind the coffee counter, Adonis smiled at the two of us before serving another customer. He seemed to agree with me.


End file.
